A Teacher and a Carpenter

Many couples are very dedicated to their chosen professions. Sometimes it's their careers they brought them together, other times its just part of what they love about each other.

Amy is an elementary school teacher and Jason is a carpenter. When I met with them, they really did not have any concept in mind. They looked at some of the other invitations, and I think, were somewhat frustrated with what to do on their invitiations.

Some of my clients know exactly what they want. As the artist who has to execute their vision, it can be intimidating, after all, I can not read minds. On the other hand, some clients do not know where to begin. Amy and Jason put a lot of trust in me.

We decided to start with their portrait. They had a great photo to use as reference. Amy has a pet weasel, which she wanted in the invitation (and luckily he was in the photo, too).

However, they both wanted to incorporate their professions into the artwork and text. That took a little more brainstorming. We discussed the typical symbolisms for teaching (apples, books, pencils) and the tools of carpentry to represent Jason's profession. Then we discussed, what I think is the most important, the size of the finished invitation, number of panels they would like, and the fold (how it would open up to be read). Then came the matter of trust - I left them and drove six hours home.